Four Haiku by David Bachner appeared in Issue 29 and can be read here.
We’d love to hear more about this set of haiku.
I studied in Japan as a university student. It was a life-changing time, a huge awakening emotionally, intellectually, and culturally, and the impact of my experiences there still reverberates, more than half a century later, in the ways I see and feel. I was introduced to haiku then and have been reading it, in translation, ever since. A couple of years ago, I also started writing haiku. Many of those efforts went into the waste basket: they seemed too padded or artificial—the opposite of the economy and directness I think haiku requires. But I was comfortable enough with the poems in “Four Haiku” to submit them.
What was the most difficult part in writing this particular set?
The abrupt, three-line haiku form seems so simple to write, so I tend to underestimate how exacting it is. In “Four Haiku,” I didn’t limit myself to a set number of syllables, but it was still a challenge to address certain of the form’s other expectations—for example, sharing just the experience itself, using multiple sense imagery, juxtaposing images, avoiding abstractions and grammatically complete sentences.
Recommend a book for us which was published within the last decade.
I recommend Before, a poetry collection by Robert Bensen (Five Oaks Press, 2019). The recommendation comes with the disclosure that Bob is a friend and mentor, but I’m confident of my impartiality in saying that Before is one fine gem of a book. Full of intelligence and craft, humor and depth, the volume carries the reader along, poem after poem. He’s a gifted story-teller whose poems are inviting and engaging, poignant but never sentimental. His writing is stunningly lyrical, and I continue to be surprised and delighted by his idiosyncratic use of language. In addition to the pure enjoyment these poems have given me, I admire the writerly skills that make them so effective, particularly the deft phrasing and the structure of his lines. There’s a lot of pleasure in store for readers of this volume and much to appreciate in Bensen’s craft.
If you could have a drink with any living author, who would it be? Why?
Among poets, Jeffrey Skinner for three reasons. First, I’m drawn to his poetry, its sincerity and accessibility. Second, he was a student of the late Philip Levine, one of my favorite modern poets, and it would be a great opportunity to hear first-hand stories about Levine’s teachings. (Skinner has done this in some of his writing; I’d like to hear more and ask questions.) Third, because I think I’d enjoy his sense of humor and personality, important considerations in a drinking partner.
What are you working on now? What’s next?
I’m resuming work on a tetralogy of linked poetry and prose that went unattended while I completed my recently published novel. And every day (well, most days), I revise poems based on feedback I’ve received from colleagues in the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center-sponsored workshop I’ve attended over the past two years.
Our thanks to David for taking the time to answer a few questions and share his work. Read David’s four haiku here: https://www.sequestrum.org/four-haiku-by-david-bachner.
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David Bachner’s poetry has appeared in several journals, the anthology Seeing Things, and the chapbook Capital Ironies. His novel Kirinski’s Life & Times was published by Woodland Arts Editions in 2021. David is a retired college dean and professor who taught most recently at American University’s School of International Service. He lives in Washington, DC.